Snape's New Life
by SecretSongbird
Summary: Death eaters seeking revenge for Severus' betrayal of Voldermort take things into their own hands by taking away Severus' memories and abandoning him in the US. This combines adventure/family and hurt/comfort as Severus' new life unfolds.
1. Chapter 1

_Author's Notes_

_I am taking the foray into having two stories active at the same time. This story is another one that has been making its presence felt for a few weeks now._

_For those following Potions Protege, I will update shortly. I had to take a trip, to London of all places :), and was there for the past four weeks for work related meetings. I am finally back home after enduring a 7 hour flight from hades and despite enjoying London, I hope I don't have to take another international flight for a LONG time._

_Secret Songbird_

Chapter 1: The Fight

_Disclaimer: While I am borrowing many of the characters created by J.K. Rowling, all rights to those characters remain solely with her. I am neither receiving nor soliciting any monetary recompense for this story._

_Near London_

Hexes were flying. Sparks of various colors flew across the space separating Severus from several former death eaters who were intent on only one thing; bringing down the man that had betrayed their now dead master. Severus was almost used to these surprise attacks. Ever since he had gotten out of St Mungos after Nagini's bite, the attacks had grown more frequent. Still, Severus Snape was not a powerful wizard for no reason. While aggravating, these attacks kept Severus' skills sharp, and, if truth be told, he was almost enjoying the chance to finally take down the very people he had loathed for so many years. Successfully dodging a particularly well thrown jelly legs hex, Severus growled as he threw back a s_tupefy_, smirking in satisfaction as the curse hit the death eater square in the chest, causing him to drop to the ground.

"Going to have to do better than that Whitley," Severus called out. "A first year could fight better than you," he continued to taunt.

Unfortunately, the momentary distraction gave another death eater the opening for which he had been searching and he launched a _funis_ _prehendo_ at Severus. Whooping in celebration, the death eater watched as the ropes tied themselves around Severus's arms and legs, trapping his wand arm and immobilizing him, causing him to fall to the ground. Calling to his fellow death eaters, Sherman approached the swearing, struggling Snape. Sherman smirked down at him as he picked up Severus' wand.

"My, my, my," Sherman taunted. "Look at what we have here. A disgusting traitor. What to do, what to do," he taunted, launching a vicious kick to Severus' side. Severus' grunted as he felt at least two of his ribs snap, but wouldn't give the former death eaters now towering over him the satisfaction of hearing him moan.

"Sherman," Severus snapped. "You're pathetic. Can't fight so you cheat, typical. All powerful when your enemy is tied up and can't defend themselves. Release me and then we'll see how good you are," Severus spat furiously.

Sherman kicked Severus again. "Shut up Snape. By the time we are done with you, that so called bravado of yours is going to be history. As much as I would love to torture you into insensibility right now, we have other plans. Prepare to disappear Snape," Sherman said mysteriously, as he hit Severus with a strong sleeping charm, putting him into a near comatose state.

Watching his enemy slump into deep unconsciousness, he turned to his compatriots, noticing that Whitley was again conscious.

"Time to carry out our plans. Whitley, Marshand, take him and dump him where we agreed. Make sure you obliviate his memories, all of them. Leave him without the sense or knowledge of who or what he is. Without anything familiar around him, the chances of his memory coming back is nil. " Sherman picked up the fallen potions master's wand. He contemplated destroying it; it would only be justice for what the traitor had done to Voldermort. Despite his misgivings, he put the wand inside the pocket of the robe Severus was wearing.

"Whadya' do that for?" Marshand questioned.

Sherman rolled his eyes before turning to the dimwitted Marshand.

"We know Snape has protective charms on his wand. Rather than chance our destruction if we try to destroy it, let Snape take that chance. Without his memories, he won't know the wand is actually a magical item. It is possible that if the wand has no meaning to him, he may destroy it himself and in the process, himself. Thinking for a second as he looked at Whitley and Marshand, Sherman stated.

"Make sure that wand is undamaged during the journey or I will do more than damage YOU!" Sherman threatened, satisfied he had gotten the message across as Whitley and Marshand both paled.

Nodding, the two death eaters hauled Severus ungently to his feet, holding Snape securely between them and as Sherman watched, the two death eaters disapparated away with the potions master.

"So long Snape," Sherman muttered. "Been nice knowing you."

_Nevada, US_

The night was still and quiet with the high summer's oppressive heat and humidity ever present when Whitley and Marshand appeared.

Dropping the potions master heavily to the hard ground, they looked around for a moment, cursing the heat.

"Let's get this over with so we can get back home. How these Americans can stand this heat is a mystery," Whitley grumbled. Leaning over the unconscious Snape, Whitley pulled his wand and pointed it at Severus' temple.

"_Numerus memoria damnu_" Sherman intoned."Serves you right traitor. Hope you enjoy losing everything and everyone you ever knew," he muttered, as he vanished the ropes still binding Snape.

"Sherman said to use obliviate. What was that you just used?" Marshand questioned.

"I made up another memory curse. This one does a more complete job than obliviate," Whitley smirked. "He won't even know how to talk; he'll be as helpless as a 2-year old."

"Hmm..have you ever tested it before to make sure? Sherman is going to be awfully pissed if Snape ever shows up again," Marshand said.

"Look you dimwitted idiot," Whitley snapped, "I may not have the fancy schooling like Sherman but I can damned well make up a stupid memory erasing curse. Even you could do it if you had more brains than a squid."

Marshand mulled over what Whitley had said for a moment, trying to determine if he had been insulted or not. Whitley just rolled his eyes at the blank look on Marshand's face. It was no fun to insult anyone who didn't have enough brains to realize they were being insulted.

"Let's go, we need to report back to Sherman," Whitley interrupted Marshand's thoughts.

The two death eaters took another few minutes to aim some more kicks to Severus' face and body before disapparating out, abandoning an unconscious Snape to the mercy of the night.


	2. Waking Up

Chapter 2: Waking Up

_Disclaimer: While I am borrowing many of the characters created by J.K. Rowling, all rights to those characters remain solely with her. I am neither receiving nor soliciting any monetary recompense for this story._

_High Noon_

Severus slowly woke up and immediately realized three things. First, he was hot. Not just hot but almost boiling. The sweat was pouring down his face and his heavy clothes were nearly soaked through. Second, he had a splitting headache and the sunlight that was piercing his still closed eyes was adding to the agony. Third, he hurt, everywhere, especially his ribs. Moaning as he rolled to his side, he slowly opened his eyes, trying to keep them out of the direct sunlight. His vision was blurry and it took a moment for him to blink the grit out of his eyes and focus. Keeping his head as still as possible, he cautiously looked around. The area was strange to him, but, a little ways off, he could see a copse of trees around what looked like a small lake.

He noticed a tree stump next to him and gathering what little strength he had, Severus managed to push himself painfully off the ground and stand, holding on to his aching ribs and moaning at the pain the movement caused in his throbbing temples. He rested for a moment, using the tree stump to steady himself. Straightening up completely and fighting off a wave of nausea, he managed to stay on his feet and he carefully took a step in the direction of the trees. He wasn't completely steady but he felt strong enough to make what looked like a short walk. At this point, he would walk forever just to get out of the relentless sunlight.

Slowly, Severus made his ways to the tree line, grateful that each step brought the trees closer. Once he reached the outer edge of shade offered by the trees, his strength gave out and he managed a somewhat controlled fall back to the ground. Still, the jolt to his broken ribs and his aching head was agony and he cried out, rolling onto his back. Keeping his eyes closed, he concentrated on just taking his next breath, breathing shallowly to keep from aggravating his ribs. After a few minutes, the pain faded enough that Severus was able to open his eyes again. Rolling back onto his side and then pushing himself up to his knees, he crawled to the edge of the small pond that stood just a few feet away. Taking a cautious sip, the water was cool and sweet. Leaning down as far as his aching body would allow, he carefully took a couple of swallows of the cool water, relishing the feel of it as it made its way down his parched throat.

Severus wanted to drink more but he was feeling dizzy and exhausted. Staying by the edge of the pond, he managed to get himself back onto his back and closing his eyes, he slipped back into blessed unconsciousness.

_A few hours later_

Sara was riding slowly, looking around to make sure everything was secure. There had been recent reports of poachers in the area and she was damned if she'd let a bunch of lawbreaking idiots hurt her stock. She liked riding in this direction as this was the area of her favorite place on the entire ranch. A copse of trees provided shade around a freshwater pond that was fed by a cold underground spring. The water was pure and the foliage and trees offered shade and a scene that just begged to be put on canvas. Sara had spent several hours sketching out the scene but still wasn't satisfied that she had captured it well enough to actually put it on canvas.

She was pulled out of her wandering thoughts as the coal black stallion she was riding snorted as he smelled the water.

"Easy boy," she crooned to him, patting his neck gently. "Almost there and then we can both drink. Micah will have my hide if I get overheated again and that is only in addition to what Doc would do."

Denying the stallion his urge to hurry to the water, Sara carefully guided him to the tree line, dismounting just as she crossed into the shade. Looping the reins over the stallion's neck, she patted him gently and urged him forward. "Go ahead boy, take a drink," she said affectionately. The stallion nuzzled her for a brief second before he walked over to the pond....and stopped, his head jerking upwards. Hearing his snort, Sara made her way over, ready to shoo off a bird or fish, whatever the stallion was finding so startling. "Honestly," she thought as she walked over. "He's the size of a house but he acts like a fairy princess." As the stallion heard her approaching, he turned his head and nickered at her, then lowered his head to the ground. Following his head, Sara gasped when she spotted a man lying on the ground, his face badly bruised and flushed. He was wearing clothes made of some heavy black material and for a moment, she thought he was a priest. Ever wary of the poachers, however, she unsnapped the keeper that held her pistol in its holster, and crouched down next to the man, her right hand on the butt of the pistol. She was always armed when she came out this way and while she was no Jesse James, she was still quite skilled.

Watching the man for a moment, she noticed that the bruising on his face was more pronounced than what she had already seen, and even though his face was flushed, he wasn't sweating overly much. A glance at the rest of him confirmed the fact, however, that his clothes were nearly soaked through. Biting her lip at what she was thinking, she put the palm of her hand on his forehead and gasped. The man was burning up! "Shit," she said out loud, "heat exhaustion at least, probably closer to heat stroke." She got up and going to the stallion, she pulled a piece of her sketch paper and a pen out of the saddlebag. Dashing off a quick note, she tied the note securely to the saddlehorn and securing the reins so they stayed out of the stallion's way, she turned him back towards the way they had come. Removing her two canteens, she patted the stallion firmly on his haunches and told him, "go get Micah boy, hurry." The stallion nickered back at her and then trotted off, breaking into an easy, ground eating canter once he had cleared the tree line.

Carrying the two canteens, she removed the neckerchief she was wearing and walked quickly back to the edge of the pond, soaking the neckerchief and refilling the canteens. Walking back to the stranger lying on the ground, she poured the cold water all over his clothes and used the neckerchief to gently bathe his face and neck. A few more trips to repeat the actions and the man started to stir.

Severus groaned as he came to. He was aware that his clothes were wet and something cool was moving over his face and neck. At his movement, the cloth was taken away and he muttered in denial, bringing his hand up out of instinct to keep the coolness there just a little longer.

"Easy," he heard a soft voice say. "Someone beat you up pretty bad and you've probably got a bad case of heat exhaustion. I know your head probably feels like someone buried an axe in your brain but help is on the way; try and relax."

At the soft voice, female he realized, he opened his eyes just a little bit. Once his eyes focused, the woman smiled at him. "Welcome back to the living," she said gently. "Lie quietly, I'll be right back."

Sara got up and went back to the pond, re-soaking the neckerchief and filling the canteens for a fifth time. She walked back, noting the man was till watching her.

"You were out the first few times I poured this water all over you. I need to get you cooled down; this might feel a little cold," she warned.

Taking the cap off one canteen, she started out pouring the water up the arm furthest from her and then poured the water across his chest and down the arm nearest her, switching canteens when the first one emptied. She put her arm behind his back and helped him sit up a little, putting the canteen to his lips.

"Take a few swallows only," she said firmly. "Don't drink too fast."

Tipping the canteen slightly, Sara was able to control the water flow and watched as the man swallowed once, twice, three times, before she took the canteen away. Severus growled in protest but Sara stayed firm.

"I'll give you some more in a few minutes," she said gently. "If you drink too much too quickly, you'll just bring it back up again. Blast it where is Micah?"

Easing him back to the ground, Sara ran her neckerchief back over Severus' face and neck and then folding it, she laid it across his forehead.

"Micah, my foreman, should be here shortly. Can you tell me your name at least, and how you got out here?" she asked him.

Opening his mouth automatically to answer, Severus then furrowed his brow. His thoughts were muddled and he couldn't seem to remember what had happened to him. He looked at the woman crouched next to him and his confusion must have shown in his eyes.

"Never mind," Sara said quietly, "it can wait. Close your eyes and rest."

Severus closed his eyes, exhaustion again claiming him as he slipped into the welcoming blackness.


	3. Out of Memory

Chapter 3: Out of Memory

_Disclaimer: While I am borrowing many of the characters created by J.K. Rowling, all rights to those characters remain solely with her. I am neither receiving nor soliciting any monetary recompense for this story._

The next time Severus became conscious, he was immediately aware of three things. First, he was cold. Not just chilled but teeth chattering cold. Second, he still had a splitting headache though the sun must have gone down as it was dark. Third, he still hurt, though the pain had dulled somewhat. He felt a heavy weight on his body and managed to open his eyes a bit, trying to determine what was sitting on his chest. He saw a thick blanket covering him and relaxed a bit into the new warmth. He realized he was in a very comfortable bed, in a darkened room that was lit by only two small oil lamps, whose flames were flickering gently, throwing dancing shadows on the ceiling.

Blinking a few times to clear his blurred vision, he started a little when a young woman bent over him into his line of sight.

"Easy now," she said gently "you're safe. You were suffering from a near case of heat stroke. We managed to get your body temperature down by covering you in ice, which is probably why you feel so cold now. We just took off the ice and got you dried off, but you still need to rest. How's your head feeling...still hurt?"

Severus tried to form words but his throat was very dry. Seeing his problem, Sara poured some water into a cup from a pitcher sitting on a side table, and putting her arm behind his head to support him, she tipped the cup and allowed him to drink, giggling slightly at his grimace. Gently easing him back down, she said

"I should have warned you. Doc Sam created this concoction especially for fighting heat stress and heat stroke. He says it is supposed to get your body back in 'chemical alignment,'" here she rolled her eyes "personally, I think it's his revenge for anyone who should know better than to get overheated. Still, I can't deny it works. How does your head feel?" she repeated.

"Like someone is trying to bury an axe in my brain" Severus said, his voice rough. "where am I?"

"Well, you are in Nevada on my ranch, the Misty Range. I found you about 6 miles out in an area we only check a couple of times a month. It isn't a good area for grazing cattle and is almost desert like. You're lucky I found you. Another few hours and you would have been in pretty grave condition."

"Nevada," Severus murmured. "That's in the states."

"That's right," Sara said puzzled. "Didn't you know where you were? I didn't see a horse or vehicle anywhere..what is your name anyway? Do you know how you got out there..it isn't a well known spot and not easily accessed. The property is fenced, and the gates are locked, how did you get in?"

Trying to follow her questions, irritated that she was speaking so fast, he waited for her to take a breath.

"Will you slow down woman," he said irritably, nodding, slightly, in satisfaction as she dropped her eyes, blushing.

"In answer to the last questions, I have no idea how I came to be on your property. As for my name, it is," here Severus paused, his brow wrinkling a bit in confusion. "It is," he started again.

Sara looked at him, watching as a myriad of emotions went across his face, worry and confusion the most prominent.

"Are you OK?" she asked.

"It seems that not only can I not remember how I came to be on your property, I also cannot remember my name" Severus finally admitted.

"Oh boy," Sara said unhelpfully. "Doc Sam said you had a minor concussion but that you shouldn't have any problems from it and amnesia isn't a normal symptom of heat stress. Can you remember anything?"

Closing his eyes for a minute, Severus thought. "Some lights, multiple colors, voices and heat," Severus finally said, opening his eyes again to see Sara looking at him.

"Not too helpful," Sara grumbled. "Doc Sam said to call him if complications set in. I better get a hold of him," Sara said, as she got up from the chair she had been occupying and made to leave the room.

"Wait," Severus said, putting his hand out and catching her wrist, "what is your name?" he asked.

"Sara," she replied, "Sara Hunter."

"I thank you for your help Mrs Hunter," Severus said.

"Miss," Sara responded, "I'm not married. And call me Sara, we are pretty informal around here. Take it easy for a bit, I'll be right back."

Severus watched as Sara left the room and he heard Sara give instructions to whomever she was speaking with to call this Doc Sam. A few minutes later she walked back in.

"Carmen, my cook and general conscience," he saw Sara smile "is going to call Doc Sam. Depending on where he is it might take him a bit to get here. I didn't make it an emergency as you seem fine other than your memory. Do you feel sick at all?" she asked him.

"No, just chilled though the blanket is helping. My head is still splitting and other than being a little sore, I am OK."

Sara went over to a closet and pulled out another blanket, draping it gently over Severus.

"Doc and his ice. First heat stress and then hypothermia. That man is the devil incarnate," Sara mumbled to herself.

"How badly am I injured?" Severus asked, distracting Sara from her muttering.

"Well, Doc said you have three broken ribs, a mild concussion and a lot of nasty bruises. He figures you were in a fight of some sort rather than a fall," she looked at him questioningly.

"Afraid I cannot help you there as I cannot remember a thing," Severus said in response.

"He taped up your ribs but as for the rest, time and rest is about the only cure," she told him. "Speaking of rest, why don't you close your eyes and relax for a while, it should help with the headache. As I said, it could take a while before Doc gets here. Doc is going to get sickeningly protective when he gets here, so you need your strength to keep from killing him," she said grinning.

Smiling at her teasing, Severus, feeling suddenly tired, closed his eyes and drifted off.


	4. Doc Sam

Chapter 4: Doc Sam

_Disclaimer: While I am borrowing many of the characters created by J.K. Rowling, all rights to those characters remain solely with her. I am neither receiving nor soliciting any monetary recompense for this story._

Severus woke again to the sound of voices in the hallway outside the room in which he was located. He recognized Sara's voice and the voice of the not yet seen Carmen, but there were two male voices as well. As the voices moved closer, he managed to comprehend what Sara was saying and realized that one of the male voices must belong to the man she referred to as 'Doc Sam.' "....woke up. He was chilled and still had a nasty headache. I covered him up with another blanket and got your concoction down his throat. Tried to get his name but he said he couldn't remember," Sara's voice got louder as she neared the room. "Was worried the concussion may have affected his memory though he doesn't seem disoriented." At those last words, Sara came into the room, followed by an older man with gray hair and an expression of fond amusement as he listened to Sara.

The man glanced over towards the bed in which Severus was lying, and realized he was awake and listening to the conversation. Giving Severus a wink, the man turned back to Sara. "Did you happen to think to check his clothing for any identification?" laughing at the exasperated expression on Sara's face. "Old goat," Sara muttered, walking quickly out of the room with the intent, Severus assumed, to search his clothing. "Brat" the man returned to the retreating back. The man turned back to Severus and smiled at him as he walked closer to the bed.

The man started talking as he pulled a chair up closer to the bed and sat down, opening up the black bag he had been carrying. "I've known Sara since the day she was born. She's a feisty thing and won't admit to a soul when she needs help but she has a heart as big as the world and has a hard time thinking badly of anyone. I'm Doctor Samuel Haynes; folks around here just call me Doc Sam. Sara said you were having a problem with your memory. When I examined you earlier, I was more worried at the time about the affect of the heat stress; you were darned close to heat stroke. Once we managed to get your temp down to a safer level, I found the concussion, but, at first glance, it didn't appear to be severe, certainly not bad enough to normally affect memory. How do you feel?"

When Severus opened his mouth to answer, he found it filled instead with a thermometer. Rolling his eyes, he went to remove the thermometer from his mouth, only to hear, a stern, "leave it be son" as the man firmly tapped his hand away.

Feeling like a reprimanded 5-year old, Severus glared silently at the Doctor, just managing to quell the flash of irritation and waited impatiently for the man to remove the thermometer so he could answer the man's question.

Once the thermometer was removed, Severus said, "as I started to say, my head still hurts but the pain is beginning to fade a bit. I'm, sore, a little tired, but otherwise I don't feel that badly."

The doctor flashed Severus a stern look, what Severus interpreted as a warning to watch the attitude, and said

"Your temp is still up a little, though nothing sleep won't take care of."

The doctor took out a small penlight and flicking it on, he stood up and leaned over the bed near Severus' head.

"Just hold your head still a moment," the man said almost gently. "I want to check your eyes."

Severus lay still as the doctor held his upper eyelid open slightly, but winced when the light hit his eye, sending a dart of pain to his still aching head.

"I know it must be a little uncomfortable; I won't be long," the doctor soothed.

Once the doctor flicked off the penlight and stepped back, Severus took a fortifying breath but couldn't help rubbing his temples in an attempt to ease the annoying ache.

"OK, without moving your head, I want you to follow my finger just with your eyes."

The doctor held up along finger about 2 inches from Severus' nose and slowly moved it to the right. Severus followed the motion, and continued to stare at the doctor's finger as it made a full circuit around and above Severus' head, before coming back in front. As a final exercise, the doctor moved his finger closer to Severus' nose, causing Severus to go cross eyed momentarily in order to keep visual contact.

Looking at Severus with a kind expression, the doctor sat back down and placed his bag on the floor next to his feet, then leaned forward to talk to Severus.

"I don't see any reason to believe that you are suffering complications from the concussion. All of your nerve responses look normal. It could be that you are subconsciously suppressing whatever happened to you. That headache you still have is a remnant due to the heat stress and the loss of water and electrolytes. While I would prefer to allow that headache to ease naturally as you rehydrate and rest, I am guessing you would prefer it to be gone," he smiled.

Severus just looked at him as though he had lost his mind; the doctor chuckled. Picking up his bag and opening it, the doctor withdrew a vial and needle, and proceeded to inject the liquid into Severus' arm. Once that was done, the doctor poured another cup of water from the pitcher on the night table, and helping Severus sit up slightly, he encouraged Severus to drink.

"There," the doctor said gently, patting Severus' arm, "give it about ten minutes and that headache should start to fade. That serum, however, is going to make you drowsy. Don't fight it, you need rest anyway" here the doctor paused and moving to the side table, he poured out another cup of water from the pitcher and helping Severus to sit up slightly, silently encouraged Severus to drink, before easing him back down. "I know it doesn't taste the best but the medication in the water will help you recover faster from the heat stress. It is important to drink as often as possible over the next day or two, although, you can go back to just plain water by tomorrow night. In the meantime, you need to stay in bed for at least the next few days while those ribs start to heal. I'll stop by in a couple of days to see how you are getting on, but Sara can call me if something comes to light in the meantime. As for your memory, I am guessing that once you are up and about again and active, your memory will return. It may come in bits and snatches at first but the important thing is not to force yourself to remember, let it come back naturally. If you force it, it may manifest itself into physical stress and cause headaches or vision issues."

Severus had closed his eyes as the doctor was talking, starting to drift as the injection the doctor had given him started to take effect. When the doctor was done with his instructions, Severus just nodded to acknowledge the fact he was listening. Chuckling again, the doctor patted Severus' arm again as he got to his feet and made to leave. "Sleep well," Severus heard as he drifted back into sleep.


	5. A Small Spark

Chapter 5: A Small Spark

_Disclaimer: While I am borrowing many of the characters created by J.K. Rowling, all rights to those characters remain solely with her. I am neither receiving nor soliciting any monetary recompense for this story._

This time when Severus woke he kept his eyes closed for a few minutes, taking stock of how he felt. He realized, gratefully, that his headache was finally gone. Moving his limbs a bit, he realized he was still a little stiff but he put that down to being in bed for so long. Really, the only lingering ache was in his chest, courtesy of his broken ribs. Putting a hand under the blanket, Severus reached down, gently running his hand over the cloth that was supporting his ribs. Carefully opening his eyes and hoping the headache wouldn't return, Severus noted it was early morning, just after dawning. The room was slightly gray but when he turned his head towards the window, he could see the first faint rays of sunlight peeking in through the bottom of the blind covering the window. All of a sudden, Severus was aware of the mouth watering aroma that began permeating the room and he realized he was starving.

Taking a fortifying breath and closing his eyes again, Severus, slowly, leveraged himself up in the bed, sitting up as best he could without undue pressure on his ribs. Predictably, he was hit with a wave of dizziness at sitting up for the first time in days and he continued to breathe until the dizziness passed, and he opened his eyes, to see Sara standing in the doorway with a smile on her face.

"Good morning. Glad to see you are obviously feeling better," she said, as she moved into the room, setting some clothes down on the chair that sat a few feet away from the bed. "Micah will be here in a few minutes to help you up. Doc said a shower would probably feel like heaven right about now and that getting out of this room for a while would do you a world of good. He was pretty clear, however, that other than sitting, you weren't to do anything more strenuous until those ribs are on the mend." Gesturing to the clothes, Sara went on. "We cleaned the clothes you were wearing but they are much too heavy for around here. These should fit and will be much more comfortable for the heat."

Seeing the clothes reminded Severus of something. "Did you find anything in my clothing to help find out who I am?" Severus asked.

Glancing at him Sara hesitated, which gave Severus his answer.

"Obviously not," he said.

"I'm sorry," Sara said gently. "There was nothing there, but, I guess it is possible something may have fallen out of that internal pocket. I'm going to take a ride back out to where we found you and look around a bit. I did find this however," she said, as she pulled out a length of polished wood. Handing it to Severus, she asked," do you recognize it?"

Taking it in his hand, Severus felt a hint of something, but it was quickly gone. Still, he had a feeling this was something important, somehow.

"Afraid not," Severus said, lifting his head from the object in his hand as a shadow fell across the door. A tall man stood in the door, a weathered and deeply tanned face giving evidence of long hours in the sun, his age about 65 or so. Severus guessed this was the ever present, but until this moment unseen, Micah.

"Mornin' lad. I have to say you look a heap better then when I first saw you three days ago," the man said, as he walked into the room.

Turning to Severus Sara confirmed his suspicion.

"This is Micah, my foreman and general manager of the ranch." she winked at Severus before saying affectionately. "He is also a royal pain in the backside and thinks he can tell everyone what to do."

"Watch yourself lass," Micah growled, "or I'll show you the true meaning of a pain in the backside, again."

Sara flushed and Micah laughed as she stomped out of the room.

Turning back to Severus, Micah went on. "I've been foreman here for a little over 30 years, first for Sara's daddy, then her brother, and now Sara herself. She was a little slip of a thing when I first arrived, only 5 years old and fill of vinegar. She ain't afraid of nothing and that gets her into trouble, frequently," Micah said with affection. "Her daddy had me keep an eye on her and gave me leave to do whatever was necessary to keep her safe, which included the occasional trip over my knee," he chuckled.

"She does seem rather, confident," Severus remarked.

"Aye, she is. Her daddy made sure both of his children understood the day-to-day workings of the ranch. They both had the best schooling possible, tutors if necessary, and they both were responsible for learning every job on this ranch. Even though she doesn't do that type of work anymore, Sara could dig a post hole and put in a fence if she had to as well as shoot her way out of a problem if it became necessary; she ain't no fainting flower. The only time I ever saw her nearly defeated is when she lost her parents, and then James, her brother. They were a very close family and the deaths hit her hard. There isn't a person on this ranch who wouldn't do anything for her; she is well protected."

Severus heard the warning tone and recognized the words for what they were. He had just been told, and in no uncertain terms, that any action against Sara would not bode well for his ongoing health. Micah was still looking at him and Severus felt compelled to answer.

"I've no intention of doing anything to harm her," Severus said. "I have a debt to her for helping me; harming her would never enter my mind."

"Well now," Micah said carefully. "You say that but you don't know who you are now do you. It might be when your memory returns, you may find yourself thinking differently. We've been having problems with poachers around here the past few years. James, Sara's brother, was killed last year when he was ambushed by a bunch of poachers. They were on him before he could react, he didn't have a chance. We pretty much know what they all look like and for sure, you don't meet any of the descriptions, but we also know the poachers are changed out occasionally," here Micah stopped, studying Severus. "I'll give you the benefit of the doubt until you show me differently," Micah said, his voice a little less stern, "something tells me you aren't a threat. Now, enough jabbering. Let's get you cleaned up," Micah paused and chuckled as Severus' stomach loudly protested its empty state "and then out to the kitchen for breakfast. My Carmen is the cook here and she'll fix you up right."

An hour later, Severus was sitting in a comfortable chair on the front porch of the house. The morning temperatures were mild with a slight breeze, but, Severus could feel the growing heat. He glanced up as Carmen came out of the house, a large tray in her hand.

"Here you go," she said with a smile, "we haven't exactly been introduced as yet but I am Carmen. I cook for everyone here, keep the house and do general first aid if it is necesary. Been here nigh on 30 years now. Got hired on as cook and then married Micah. Now I now you are probably hungry but given that you haven't had anything solid for a few days, I figured you wouldn't want a heavy breakfast. Just some toast and fruit here, start easy. I can always make more in a bit if you are still hungry, but, it is better to start out slow," she said, as she set the tray on a table in front of him. "Afraid we don't have a lot of tea on hand, I'll have to have Micah run out later. Still, I have never had complaints about the coffee."

"Coffee is fine, than you," Severus said, almost groaning at the "light" breakfast in front of him. There had to be a half a loaf of bread toasted on the plate, along with enough fruit to feed a dozen people..light indeed.

"You eat up and call me if you want anything. Best to take it easy today. Heat is gonna' be high and we have a storm coming in later today. Hands are going to be busy getting the place battened down. These end of summer storms tend to hit pretty hard, which reminds me, I'd best check the emergency supplies," she muttered, as she made her way back into the house.

It was forty minutes later and Severus had barely managed to eat about half of what Carmen had put in front of him, his inability to finish partly due to the sheer amount of food and the fact that as Carmen had said, he hadn't had anything solid for a few days. His stomach had protested a little, making him feel slightly nauseous. Carmen had been sympathetic when she took the tray away, making sure Severus was comfortable and supplied with a cold pitcher of water before she went back into the house. Micah had been right. Though tired after the ordeal of showering, dressing and eating, the fresh air felt good even though the humidity was quickly rising.

Taking in the yard, Severus was impressed. On the far right was a huge barn that went out of sight beyond the end of the house. The barn was surrounded by huge fenced paddocks where several horses grazed in the warming morning air. Several foals danced about, playing with each other under the watchful eyes of their dams. In front of him and to his left, there were several areas of gardens interspersed amongst the expanse of grassy area. Full of flowers and bushes, each garden was meticulously groomed, the larger center garden sporting a running fountain surrounded by a small pool. Beyond the grassy area, there was a well maintained dirt area where Severus could see several posts, presumably posts used to tie up the horses when needed, and this was also the area where the hands prepared their mounts for whatever work they were to perform that day. For the most part, the other hands had just glanced at Severus, curiosity in their eyes but otherwise not paying much attention.

Taking stock of his strength, Severus stood up and walked a few short steps to the porch railing, placing his hands on it for a minute before deciding he was steady enough for a short walk. Fortunately, the porch was level with a walkway so Severus didn't have to navigate any steps as he headed over to the paddock where the foals were playing. Coming up to the fence, a few of the more curious foals came up to him, stretching their noses out to check out the newcomer. Severus gently ran his hand down their soft noses and chuckled as they nibbled gently at his hand. "Sorry little ones, " Severus said gently, "no food; maybe later." Realizing they weren't going to get anything, the foal's attention turned back to their play and Severus turned his back to the fence and just stood still for a moment. Remembering Carmen's warning of an approaching storm, Severus glanced up at the sky. Right now, there were a few fluffy white clouds dotting the expanse of blue, but off in the distance, Severus could see the gathering storm clouds.

Just as Severus started to make his way back to the porch, Micah and Sara came around the side of the barn, deep in conversation. Sara was leading what looked like the largest and most beautiful horse of all the horses on the property. The horse's coat was a deep, shiny black and matched the equally as black, long and flowing, mane and tail. Severus smiled as the large animal gently lipped at the long pony tail flowing down Sara's back. It was Severus' chuckle at the big horse's action that caused Sara to look up and Severus was greeted with a huge smile.

"Well hello there," Sara said brightly. "Glad to see you made it outside. Good thing to. Storms are coming up; we might be stuck inside for a couple of days. How are you doing?"

"Much better, thank you," Severus replied.

"Carmen look after you?" Micah asked.

"Yes, she did. She stuffed me like a goose ready for the table," Severus said with a wry grin.

Micah and Sara both laughed.

"That's Carmen," Sara said. "One thing no one ever has to worry about around here is going hungry."

Micah spoke to Sara.

"Storm will be here late this afternoon. You make sure you and that grain eating monstrosity you call a horse are back here early," Micah said sternly.

Sara just rolled her eyes. "Yes dad," she said cheekily, dodging an affectionate cuff to the back of her head. "No worries actually, you know how Dutch hates to get wet. He'll make sure he has a warm, dry barn between him and the rain."

Chuckling, Micah nodded to Severus and then walked over to the other hands that were still getting ready; Sara turned to Severus.

"I am heading out to the area where we found you in the hopes that some identification may have been left behind and then checking some of the outer areas before this storm hits. I shouldn't be gone more than a few hours. Dutch here is better than a barometer," she said with affection as she patted the large horse. "He'll make sure we get back ahead of the storm. In the meantime, you'd best get yourself back to the porch. If Carmen catches you out and about like this after Doc told you to stay in bed, you'll never hear the end of it. Not to mention, Carmen is a tattletale. She tells Doc you were out of bed and walking around the yard no less, and you'll get a lecture from him you wouldn't want in your worst nightmares."

Severus chuckled at her expression. "I take it you've been on the receiving end of that lecture before?"

"More than I care to admit," Sara said with a grin, as she turned and stepping up on the wood platform Severus hadn't realized was there, she mounted the horse gracefully and smiled down at Severus.

"Back soon. Carmen and Micah will be here if you need anything; don't hesitate to ask."

For some strange reason, Severus felt the need to call after Sara as she rode off. "Be careful," he called to her, smiling as she waved a hand at him to acknowledge she had heard him.

Severus watched a little longer until she was out of sight, then he went back inside the house to see if Carmen needed any help.


End file.
